


John Watson’s Blog: In defence of fanfiction

by ButterscotchCandybatch



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen, Meta, Metafiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2015-01-03
Packaged: 2018-01-05 18:06:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1096926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ButterscotchCandybatch/pseuds/ButterscotchCandybatch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Watson is a blogger and writer himself, so of course he understands the value of fanfiction. And he has some comments to make about those who don't! New post: On Negative Feedback in fandom and how to respond appropriately to fan works you don't like.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. On the Value of Fan-Works

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mildredandbobbin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mildredandbobbin/gifts).



> For mildredandbobbin, and all fanfiction writers. Because it could just as easily have been any of us.

There has been a lot of discussion on the internet about fanfiction and what I think of it, and how it affects Sherlock and me. In fact, it doesn’t affect us much at all, mainly because we have very little contact with it. Fandom and our lives run on rather separate tracks, and we only interact when we choose to, or when some ill-advised media stunt forces us to take notice of one another.

Unfortunately there has been more that one attempt to do just that, mostly for the shock value. Whether it is to try to shock us with the hardly-new idea that some people wish Sherlock and I were in a relationship, whether it is try to shock people regarding public discussion of sex (again, hardly new) or through a mistaken idea that because I am heterosexual I must also be homophobic and would be shocked and alarmed to see myself portrayed in fiction as being gay – suffice it to say it doesn’t shock me at all.

However, I do think that such attempts to force us and fanfiction to take notice of one another is disrespectful both to us and to the fans. The effect on us may be to change the way we think of ourselves and our lives, which I do not think is healthy. The effect on the fans takes several forms, but in terms of forced contact it is usually being done by someone outside the fandom itself, either to point out inconsistencies between the fanfiction and actual (canon) events or else purely to ridicule the fanworks by showing them in an inappropriate context.

I will just point out that the vast majority of fanfiction (and fanvids and other fanworks) are known when they are made to be inconsistent with canon events. This is often intentional, and to a great degree, the actual point.

Fanworks allow fans to explore the people and world in ways which extend from the originals, sometimes by placing us (those who inhabit the world) in new situations to see what we might do, or by placing us in totally new worlds, or by exploring our history or future. Sometimes fanworks allow fans to blend different worlds together and explore what would happen if someone from our world were to meet with people from Tolkien’s world, for example.

Fanfiction is endlessly creative and is completely unlimited by the actual constraints of the real world. Fanworks do not have to conform to what censors think is appropriate for general audiences, not just with regards to sex, but also violence, criminal activity and trauma. Dark themes can be explored which would be difficult to express in most other contexts.

As a blog writer myself, I also have some insight into the writing value of fanfiction, over and above the fun people have in writing it. Fanfiction allows a writer to play with specific microskills of writing, without having to invent a whole world and characters in order to do so. For example, if I wanted to polish my dialogue writing skills, I can focus on that alone using established characters and situations. Similarly, I can experiment with tone and style, I can get writing practice and feedback and I can attempt to find my writing ‘voice’ without having to write a whole novel. It also allows those for whom English is not their first language to hone their skills and get feedback from native English speakers. (I am aware that there are fanfiction forums in other languages, but sadly I am not fluent enough to explore or comment on these and I was unable to get Sherlock’s input before posting this on the blog. He may comment later.)

Fanfiction also teaches people to write concisely (such as in drabbles to specific word limits), allows people to exchange ideas in the forms of prompts and gifts and generally encourages discussion and conversation between people who are interested in the same ideas.

More seriously, fanfiction gives a voice to small sections of the community for whom ‘mainstream’ media does not often pay attention. Just in the Sherlock fandom I have seen works dedicated to exploring in detail the psychology of asexuality, recovery after rape, narcissistic personality disorder, PTSD, Asperger’s and Autism Spectrum Disorders, intersexuality and genderfluid issues. I’m sure there are many more. (I apologise if I am using the wrong terminology, these were mostly fairly quick explorations of what I am aware is a deep and diverse community.)

It is empowering and therapeutic for both authors and readers to be able to identify with characters in their situations. It is also educational for readers to learn something about a person or situation to which they might otherwise be oblivious. I myself was not previously aware of my level of privilege as a white, neurotypical, straight cis-male living in London – this is something I have learned from reading fanfiction and related material.

In conclusion, I would just like to make a comment on the motivations of those who mock fanworks. Almost without exception, this is done by people outside the fandom. People within the fandom are usually generous enough to each other that if they see something they don’t like, they simply move past it to something else. It is people outside the fandom who do not understand the value and purposes of fanfiction who mock that which they do not understand. I would feel sorry for their lack of understanding both of imaginative play and of writing, except that they usually do it out of spite or create a cheap sensation. It is an ill-advised attempt because in mocking the fandom they are showing disrespect not only to everyone who is involved in our lives in any way (even those who do not necessarily identify themselves as fans) but also to us – Sherlock and me.

I appreciate all of you who follow my blog and show interest in Sherlock’s and my cases and in our lives. You are the reason we live and breathe. Keep playing and writing and drawing and honing those skills on our new series of adventures soon to be revealed!

With love and respect,

John H. Watson


	2. Fanfiction and Negative Feedback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to add a few words about negative feedback to authors in fan-fiction and why fandom is a particular setting with its own needs and requirements. Just some food for thought for my readers!

**How to respond to fanfiction you don't like:**

I thought I had said everything I had to say about fan fiction in my previous blog post, but Sherlock pointed out that I should probably say more about negative feedback. On a high-traffic blog a certain amount of negative feedback can be expected, particularly if the author is writing about controversial issues (which I try not to do most of the time unless it directly relates to a case).

I think the case is different with fan-fiction, for several reasons:

Firstly, fan-fiction is always a creative process, as indeed are all fan works. The creator makes something which they are using to hone their skills of writing, drawing, vid-making or whatever form of creative expression suits them. I have recently tried my hand at a little bit of art therapy (long story) and though the pieces I have produced are far from professional, they are pleasing and meaningful to me. I created them for myself and have no intention of sharing them publicly, but if I did, it would mean revealing part of myself to the world. This is taking a creative risk, and I would hope that people would respect that and refrain from purely negative criticism, which essentially amounts to "I don't like you".

Secondly, constructive criticism  _is_  a part of the fan-fiction milieu. However, this is quite different from mere "I don't like that" comments. I think we all know it when we see it, but ConCrit must by its very nature point the way to improvements - usually by suggesting the author reconsider a particular scene, word or spelling, or by pointing out that something appears out of character or is inconsistent with canonical facts in a way which disrupts the willing suspension of disbelief.

(I might digress here a moment to mention "crack" which is fiction which is intentionally not taking itself seriously. Crack is often shown by breaking the fourth wall (having characters deliberately be aware of themselves as characters or speaking directly to the audience) or by characters being deliberately wildly out of character or inconsistent with canon. Leaving a comment saying "this is nothing but crack" is stating the obvious and one saying "I don't like crack" is equally unhelpful.)

Thirdly, both authors and audience have a duty of care to one another, by which I mostly mean indicating openly on the front of a work what the likely content will be. The most obvious example of this is tagging or using author's notes in a way which allows people to avoid "spoilers" for future events if they have not yet seen a later series. I am myself only up to Season Three of "Game of Thrones" - due to Mary's intense dislike of the series I can only watch it when she is at work - so I am trying to avoid spoilers for Season Four. Similarly, works which contain very dark or disturbing content either of a violent or sexual nature should always be clearly tagged so that people with particular trigger points (again such as myself with PTSD) can be informed in a way that allows us to protect our mental balance.

This duty of care runs both ways, though. I would regard it as being quite a bit not good to lambast an author for writing (for example as in the  _Supernatural_  fandom) sibling incest fan-fiction if the piece was already tagged as containing that  _and you chose to read it anyway!_ If a piece is inappropriately tagged or missing a tag, a simple comment to the author will usually correct this. I do not think most fan-fiction authors are deliberately trying to suck people into reading things that will upset or offend them.

Fourthly, taste and opinion. These vary, obviously. Some people like to read social commentary others hate allegory. I think it was Hemingway who said "if you have a message, call Western Union." In other words, art is for its own sake and not a platform for the author to lecture the audience. J.R.R. Tolkien would agree, C.S. Lewis and Robert Heinlein would disagree. Some people (apparently) love to read sex scenes with very little narrative content, others don't. Some people like to read certain kinds of sex scenes but not others.

I came across a rather useful concept recently on LiveJournal (I don't post there, but I do read sometimes). I think it was on a Kink Meme site (and no, I'm not going to tell you which fandom it was). The idea is very simple: no kinkshaming.

If I understand it correctly, it means no criticising someone else's taste, after all, to coin a phrase: there is no accounting for taste! So if someone else likes watersports and wants to read about water polo* and you find that boring or distasteful, then you are free to close the window and go read something else. What you are not free to do, is say that water polo is horrible, how could anyone like water polo? Or that water polo is not nearly as good as field hockey, why don't we re-write this piece with field hockey instead of water polo? Or that water polo is morally wrong and only people with no conscience like water polo because everyone knows that good Christians only ever read about athletics, and so on. Or to send messages or leave reviews/comments for the author saying that water polo is evil, if you claim to be a decent person you shouldn't write about water polo and all water athletes should never be allowed to marry or reproduce.

Similarly a useful phrase I found:  **YKINMKATO.**  It stands for "Your Kink Is Not My Kink And That's OK". I like this phrase, and I think it applies to many aspects of life! For example, if Sherlock would leave me to watch GOT without endlessly criticising the fantasy elements as "pointless" or "impossible", we would all live happier lives - Sherlock, if you are reading this, see me afterwards.

So, to all my readers, I invite you to live kindly and if you don't like something, to leave quietly. I've brushed past many fan works which are not my cup of tea. As an adult, I view it as my job to know where the "back" button on my browser is, and not to let the door hit my arse on the way out. I don't agree with leaving author comments such as "I don't like this" or "water polo is icky". Opinions are like arseholes; everyone has one and thinks theirs doesn't stink.

Mary told me that in the last paragraph the language was getting a bit strong for the average reader. I disagree, but I'll up the rating of this blog to "T" for language - I reckon teens these days have seen the word "arse" before. So I'm leading by example, and adjusting my rating to "community expectations" (since that's what Mary reckons she is these days).

I hear people objecting: but what about the truth? Shouldn't I leave reviews that are honest?

To which my reply is: no. Or rather, not necessarily. My mother used to say, "If you can't say something nice don't say anything at all." I agree. Truth is not the only measure of the worth of a comment. Remember that on most sites comments and replies are delivered directly to the originator - before you post, think! Would you say this directly to the artist's face? Being online and anonymous is, in my opinion, no defence. If you wouldn't say it to the author in person at a book launch, or in an art gallery, then don't post it online either. Before you post: THINK.

Is it  **T** rue?

Is it  **H** elpful?

Is it  **I** nspiring?

Is it  **N** ecessary?

Is it  **K** ind?

So my final comment on the subject is to give each other the benefit of the doubt, and to comment thoughtfully on what people have created and offered of themselves. A very wise man once said "do to others as you would have them do to you" and I think this Golden Rule is embodied in pretty much every religion and moral code - so none of us have any excuse!

Human-kind. Be Both.

John H. Watson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *It has subsequently been drawn to my attention that "watersports" doesn't actually refer to water polo, but I say the example is still valid so I'm leaving it.


End file.
